Music to me is like breathing. I don't get tired of breathing, I don't get tired of music.

I cant retire from music any more than I can retire from my liver. Youd have to remove the music from me surgically—like you were taking out my appendix.

The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.

The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues. They're not as dressed up and the people are very honest and say, 'Look, I miss you darlin', so I went out and got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it. Where in Tin Pan Alley they would say, 'Oh I missed you darling, so I went to this restaurant and I sat down and had a dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you see? But country and blues tells it like it is.

It's like Duke Ellington said, there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. And you can tell when something is good.

I can't help what I sound like. What I sound like is what i am. You know? I cannot be anything other that what I am.

Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.